Poetry Contest Winners!

We’re pleased to announce the winners of this year’s poetry contest in honor of National Poetry Month! The winners and poems are as follows: 1st Place:  “Before the Storm” by John Anglim 2nd Place: “Mobile Hope” by Chelsea Tryon 3rd Place: “Ghost Writer” by Ruth Michels   Before the Storm by John Anglim Skipping nimble […]

Continue reading

Happy birthday, Beverly Cleary!

Did you know that today is my favorite children’s author Beverly Cleary’s 100th birthday? Famous and beloved for her Beezus and Ramona (and Henry Huggins and Ribsy) books, Cleary wrote about real kids and their everyday lives and struggles with a comic touch.  Never preachy, always lively and engaging, she wanted to write about ordinary […]

Continue reading

Octopus Coffee Inc. leases Central Library location from Mesa County Libraries  

Octopus Coffee Inc. leases Central Library location from Mesa County Libraries    Mesa County Libraries and Octopus Coffee Inc. have reached an agreement that allows the coffee vendor to begin serving beverages and food from a hut at Sixth Street and Grand Avenue in Grand Junction. The lease agreement lets Octopus Coffee place a hut […]

Continue reading

Celebrate National Library Week!

This week is National Library Week, April 10-16, a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation’s libraries and librarians and to promote library use and support. Whether you’re a “regular” or haven’t been in the library in a LONG time, stop by your favorite library branch and say hello! We’d love to know: What […]

Continue reading

National Volunteer Week

Mesa County Libraries and the Literacy Center depend on hundreds of volunteers to provide great services to the community. National Volunteer Week (also National Library Week!) from April 10 – April 16 gives us an opportunity to thank our volunteers for being an integral part of our organization. In 2015 alone, library volunteers and Literacy […]

Continue reading

Everything She Forgot

In Everything She Forgot, Margaret Holloway’s life is literally cracked up when she is in a multi-car pileup one winter evening.  Trapped in her burning car, she is rescued by a disfigured man who breaks the window and pulls her out of the car right before it explodes.  Although she is not hurt seriously, the […]

Continue reading

Author Spotlight: Emma Virján

 Author Spotlight: Emma Virján   Emma Virján is a wonderful author who writes wonderful books and has a wonderful personality to match (not to mention a wonderfully red, big wig). Around the middle of March, 2016 she took some time to talk to me about her character named Pig as well as herself. Here’s what I […]

Continue reading

Grand Valley Orchards in the 19th Century

Western Colorado is known for fruit production, especially in the area of Palisade. In the past there were a variety of orchards spread throughout our region. Once the land was irrigated agriculture picked up quickly and by 1892 there were quite a few fruit growers in the valley. Peach, apricot, apple, and cherry trees were plentiful […]

Continue reading

The Uintah Railway

In the late 1890’s and early 1900’s mining was an important part of the economy of the western United States. Several coal mines operated in the Grand Valley and western Colorado’s role in the mining industry was just beginning to emerge. During this time in Eastern Utah a rare mineral called Gilsonite was being mined. […]

Continue reading